


Something's Got To Give

by CloversDreams



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hot Spring, Lack of Communication, M/M, Mild Language, Mutual Not Realizing It, Mutual Pining, Sk8 Ensemble Cameo, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, pent up feelings finally released
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29584212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: It was actually something that one of his fans shouted earlier that was stuck on Kojiro’s mind. Normally he forgot about their cheers for the most part by the end of the race. Maybe he ended up going home with one or two of them if he played his cards right. He certainly hadn’t been in the mood for any of that tonight, though. He was way too distracted to entertain.Imagine having a hunk like Joe for a soulmate! How lucky would that be!The random woman’s words echoed in his head as they’d been doing since he’d heard them. Kojiro dragged his hands down his face slowly and let out a defeated groan. He so didn’t want to get caught up in thinking about this again but now it looked like there was no stopping it. Yes, soulmates existed. Yes, he knew who his was. No, they weren’t together. The reason for that was as simple as they came. His soulmate hated his guts.
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 16
Kudos: 439





	Something's Got To Give

Kojiro smiled and waved as he skated by his adoring fans. They cheered him on as usual and he repaid their support with winks in their direction. All sorts of shouts came from the surrounding crowd and he could hear them all even above the roaring of his skateboard beneath his feet.

“I love you, Joe!”

“I love you more!”

“Marry meee!”

"No! Marry me first!"

It was all the usual stuff, which made him chuckle to himself. Kojiro was sure he’d never tire of his admirers. It was nice to have his ego stroked, after all. He did make a lot of effort to look _this_ good and knowing that others noticed that was satisfying.

“It’s really him! He’s so hot!”

“Imagine having a hunk like Joe for a soulmate! How lucky would that be!”

“Oh my god, I’d just die!”

What a loaded subject to bring up. Still, Kojiro wouldn’t let it kill his buzz. He was riding out the high that came along with the adrenaline rush of skateboarding and basically on top of the world right now. He flexed in the showiest manner that he could and basked in the shrill cries it caused. Yeah, yeah, they loved him. Keep the praise coming.

A whole different set of fans began to roar loudly and Kojiro knew exactly who was behind him even before they skated past. Kaoru didn’t even spare him a passing glance as he crouched a bit to pick up speed. His long ponytail whipped Kojiro in the face and caused him to shut his eyes for a second. When he opened them again he found that Kaoru had taken a decent lead just like that.

“Where do you think you’re going, Pinky?” Kojiro called after him as he kicked off the ground to pick up more speed himself. He grinded his teeth when Kaoru’s only response was to flip him off over his shoulder. This stupid guy. All right, the time for fun and games was over. Now Kojiro was serious. There was no way Kaoru would out-skate him right now. The win would be _his_ tonight.

Kojiro settled into the bathtub and let out a content hum. This was the life. Hot water always felt incredible on his sore muscles after a race. He leaned his head back against the tub and looked up at the ceiling. Another race that was too close to call by the naked eye. Of course Carla claimed that Kaoru won by some fraction of a measurement that sounded like bullshit. Then that sparked an argument between himself and Kaoru. Nothing new there.

It was actually something that one of his fans shouted earlier that was stuck on Kojiro’s mind. Normally he forgot about their cheers for the most part by the end of the race. Maybe he ended up going home with one or two of them if he played his cards right. He certainly hadn’t been in the mood for any of that tonight, though. He was way too distracted to entertain.

_Imagine having a hunk like Joe for a soulmate! How lucky would that be!_

The random woman’s words echoed in his head as they’d been doing since he’d heard them. Kojiro dragged his hands down his face slowly and let out a defeated groan. He so didn’t want to get caught up in thinking about this again but now it looked like there was no stopping it. Yes, soulmates existed. Yes, he knew who his was. No, they weren’t together. The reason for that was as simple as they came. It wasn’t mutual.

Overall soulmates were an utterly ridiculous concept. At first, yeah, it sounded amazing. One perfect person out there just for you? The missing piece that’d give you a sense of wholeness like nothing before? Sign him the hell up. But then, reality strikes as it tends to do. The truth of the matter was that it wasn’t nearly that simple.

Human beings were incredibly complex creatures. Somehow that had to be portrayed even in what should’ve been a rather simple concept. Because the easy way was just too simple. And so, soulmates were not as cut and dry as the word implied. The fact of the matter was that just because someone completed you did not guarantee you completed them. Their perfect match could be someone else entirely. Kojiro would know since his personal soulmate hated his guts.

That stemmed all the way back to their high school days together, it really wasn’t anything new. The surprise was when that dainty little flower appeared on Kojiro’s skin one day during their junior year. He’d recognized it the moment he saw it. A cherry blossom. Because of _course_ it was. Kojiro did his best to attempt to make nice with the guy but that just went terribly. No matter what he tried, he and Kaoru couldn’t get along on a basic level. They just clashed about every tiny thing.

At first Kojiro believed that he’d misinterpreted the soulmark altogether. That was the only thing that made sense. There was no way that this guy he had nothing in common with and couldn’t have a conversation that didn’t end in a shouting match with was the part of himself that was missing. He kept the mark concealed with simple tricks like using bandages. No one ever questioned it, least of all Kaoru.

Slowly but surely Kojiro came to realize that he kind of _liked_ their bickering. That their differences kept things interesting between them. Kaoru’s snarky attitude was honestly really appealing. Strange as it was, he found himself looking forward to at least one petty disagreement a day with the other boy. And then he finally had the realization that he didn’t feel the things he did around Kaoru with anyone else. Being in his presence felt right somehow. That was a hard pill to swallow for sure.

Judging by the fact that Kaoru’s attitude towards him only got worse over the years, he could only conclude that there was no way this was the kind of soulmate situation that went both ways. In other words, it didn’t matter how much he tried on his end because Kaoru wouldn’t ever feel the things he did. Clearly, there was someone else out there meant to stir up the new and unusual feelings within the other boy.

Of course, Kojiro wasn’t one to let something like this get him down. He sought out his affections wherever he could get them. That was easy enough considering his popularity was sky-high. Life was good and fun and never anything serious. Somehow through it all he could never shake the odd relationship he had with Kaoru though. Would he call them friends? On some days. Others, not so much. They even ended up falling into the same hobby and that lead to them seeing one another a lot more instead of less once out of school. Call it fate if you want but it was a bit ridiculous.

Kojiro held his breath then let himself sink completely underwater. Soulmates as a concept were a bunch of nonsense and he’d already gone out of his way to rid himself of the stupid reminder that he had one at all. No more thought on the subject was necessary. Others might be hung up on such a stupid thing, but he’d continue to live his life as carefreely as he pleased.

*

“Kyaaa, hot springs are the best!” Reki exclaimed as he sank lower into the warm water, happy as a clam. Next to him Langa, Hiromi, and Miya agreed with soft hums. Everyone was positively content.

“Yeah, even more so when they’re mixed.” Kojiro agreed with a wink. A wide grin spread across his face then he assured them, “You boys will understand that when you’re older.”

“Be silent, you horny gorilla,” Kaoru grumbled on the other side of him. “You’re ruining everyone else’s fun.”

Kojiro rolled his eyes and didn’t reply. Even that four-eyes couldn’t bring down his hot spring mood with his snippy attitude. This impromptu trip of theirs was just what he needed. He was glad he agreed to join them even though his first instinct was to say no. In the end, letting himself be convinced had been a great decision after all. Abrupt laughter caught his attention and he turned away from Kaoru just in time to get splashed in the face. Of course that meant war. Kojiro wouldn’t lose.

Not even ten minutes later the battle was over because Langa spent too long in the hot water and needed help getting to his room to lie down. Kojiro shook his head as he watched Reki freak out while Hiromi carried him out of the bathing area. That kid was way too fragile. Miya trailed behind them pretending not to be interested, much like a cat.

And then it got quiet in the bath. Kojiro was left there all alone with Kaoru of all people. Oh, well. He already decided he wouldn’t let that guy’s shit get to him today. He shut his eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the water. It wasn’t too much later that he heard the other man stand.

“I’m heading out as well,” Kaoru said to no one in particular. It was more out of etiquette than wanting to talk to anyone.

“Your loss.” Kojiro replied without a thought. More for him, then. He listened to the sound of Kaoru’s footsteps as he walked over to where the robes waited. Kojiro opened his eyes for reasons he couldn’t really explain and found that Kaoru had his back to him. Nothing new there. Or so he thought. His eyes widened when they landed upon the tattoo on the back of Kaoru’s left shoulder.

Kojiro realized in that moment that Kaoru’s tendency to wear traditional clothing meant he never saw very much of his skin. He’d have no way to know that such a thing was even there if he hadn’t randomly looked in the guy’s direction. What he saw was, well…impossible. Because if Kaoru had a mark like _that_ on him he’d tell him, right?

He was like a man possessed as he jumped to his feet and dashed out of the bath. Kojiro ran right up to the pink-haired man and poked the tattoo hard as he yelled, “Hey, Kaoru! What’s this!”

“None of your business,” Kaoru replied flatly. He pulled his robes on without another word, covering the tattoo in question. Then he grumbled something about the rules saying there was to be no running around the bath.

Except it was his business. Closer inspection proved that. A tiger. There was a tiger tattoo on Kaoru’s back. Of _course_ it was a tiger! That made perfect sense considering the cherry blossom he’d had for a soulmark. It all fell into place so well it was dizzying. Yet it seemed like this wasn’t something Kaoru wanted to discuss. Too damn bad. It needed discussing here and now.

“I’m–! I mean you’re–!” Unfortunately, Kojiro was tongue tied and couldn’t seem to get a proper sentence out. He didn’t know how to grip the situation himself, so how the heck was he expecting Kaoru to? Shit. The guy was on his way out and there’d be no way to bring this up again at another time. He needed to do something now. Kojiro ended up blurting out, “We’re soulmates!”

Kaoru cringed like he’d just gotten kicked in the gut. A moment of silence passed, then another, and he simply frowned to himself. Kaoru finally seemed to gather his thoughts and replied, “I don’t have to listen to your bullshit. I’m leaving.”

Kojiro grabbed his wrist and yelled, “I’m telling the _truth_!”

Kaoru turned towards him, glared into his eyes and demanded, “Show me your soulmark.”

Kojiro’s eyes widened. Oh. Well, shit. He averted his gaze and muttered, “I… can’t. It’s– it _was_ here.” He motioned to the tattoo on his shoulder.

Kaoru’s eyes shifted to the heavy black ink that decorated his tan skin. His brow furrowed and he growled, “You’re so full of it. Let go of me, dimwit.”

“Man, what else was I supposed to think?” Kojiro groaned. “You’ve always hated me. I knew when I first got mine that there was no way it’d be a mutual thing. Like yeah, sure, maybe you were the one for me, but there was clearly someone else out there who was the one for you. I did what I had to not to dwell on something that’d never happen.”

“Hated y–!” Kaoru shrieked. There was a fire in his eyes as he asked, “Is that why I took up skateboarding around the same time you did? Or why I put up with you requesting to be my lab partner all those times? How about all of my precious time I spent tutoring you so you didn’t flunk out entirely? Just how many times did I make sure you had the homework assignments on days you decided to skip school entirely?”

“Everyone wanted to be your lab partner, you were stupid smart…” Kojiro muttered under his breath. Was all that stuff he just said true? Yeah, it was. Kojiro didn’t know how he never noticed them as a whole. Individually they didn’t add up to much but now he was just confused.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. None of it does.” Kaoru replied without looking at him. “That was all in the past and since you made it impossible to prove what it is you’re claiming right now all I hear is a horny gorilla trying to get some.” He yanked his arm free of the taller man’s grip then added, “Well get it elsewhere, I’m not interested.”

Kojiro didn’t know what to do as Kaoru turned and started to walk away. There had to be something he could say or do to convince the guy he was telling the truth. A sudden realization hit him and he exclaimed, “I have a picture! From before I got the tattoo! Like an actual printed one, not digital! Is that proof enough for you, jackass?”

Kaoru paused, his hands clenched into fists, and he turned his head slightly then replied, “If you can provide this supposed picture then we might be able to continue this conversation. If not, just act like an adult for once and pretend you never saw what you did. It’d be better for everyone.”

With that Kaoru walked away and Kojiro was left standing there naked, wet, and too stunned to move. This supposedly relaxing trip just took a turn for something else entirely and now he was even more stressed than ever. Shit.

Kojiro had no idea where he put that stupid picture. Three days had passed since he’d said he did have it, but the truth of the matter was he didn’t know where it’d gotten to. He’d torn apart his room then the rest of his home with no luck. Ugh. There was no way Kaoru would believe that he ever had it in the first place. Frankly, he didn’t blame the guy one bit.

He was left to wonder if he should just give up. He’d pushed aside his feelings for Kaoru before so he could just do that again. Nothing had to change. Except that was a crock of shit. Things already had changed. Ever since he saw Kaoru’s tattoo that guy was all he could think about. That and the fact that their communication skills really sucked. How long had it been there? If it appeared around the time Kojiro got his soulmark that was just insane. So much wasted time all because they were both so stubborn.

Kojiro would make up for all the time they’d lost just as soon as he found that god forsaken picture that he knew was around here somewhere. Actually, wait. He sort of remembered his mother giving him a housewarming gift a few years back. She called it a ‘special box of memories’ for him to look at whenever he was feeling nostalgic, bless her heart. Where had he stashed that hmm? Ah.

He went to the coat closet near the front door and moved things around on the storage shelf above his head. Bingo. In the very back most awkward place to grab was the box in question. By some miracle Kojiro managed to grab it without causing an avalanche. He took his prize to the living room and sat on the couch.

He set the box onto the coffee table and ran his fingers over the embroidered word ‘memories’. Well, no time like the present. Kojiro removed the lid and set it aside. He huffed softly in amusement. The box was filled with all sorts of little things he used to treasure. From old toys, to collectable cards, and even a really cool seashell he’d found one year on a family vacation. Beneath all the miscellaneous things was a stack of pictures.

Kojiro removed those and sat back against the couch to flip through them. Lots of shots of him and his family. Learning to ride a bike. Kitchen disasters. Vacations. All great, but not what he was looking for. He paused when he happened upon an unexpected picture. It was of him and… Kaoru? They were both so small and Kaoru’s hair didn’t quite reach his shoulders yet. Was this middle school? He didn’t remember it at all.

He studied the way his younger self had an arm around the pink-haired boy. The grin on his face was as wide as could be. Meanwhile, little Kaoru looked so embarrassed. How cute. It was hard to believe there was actually a time when they were so close. If he tried something like this now he’d get punched. He flipped to the next picture and found himself even more surprised.

This image was probably taken seconds after the first since little him still had an arm around Kaoru. Only his eyes were squeezed shut now and Kaoru was looking at him, a little smile upon his face. There was a fondness in his eyes that Kojiro hadn’t ever seen before. Not only directed at himself, but in general. Kojiro couldn’t believe it. He squinted and brought the picture closer to his face as if that’d somehow give him clarity. It didn’t. In fact, it just made him even more confused.

He stared at that image for far too long, only ending up with a hundred questions in the process. Kojiro set that picture aside. He’d get back to it later. There was something he was supposed to be doing, after all. He continued to flip through the pictures until he finally happened upon exactly the one he was looking for. Thank god.

Kojiro set the others aside and frowned at the one of himself sitting in a tattoo chair with a cocky grin upon his face and his soulmark in clear view. That damn smile. As if he wasn’t about to make what could very well be the worst mistake of his life depending on how things went when Kaoru saw this. Kojiro squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sigh.

There was no way he’d be able to sleep. What time was it? He could call Kaoru. They definitely needed to talk. Who was he kidding? There was no way he’d answer. Actually, the guy hadn’t spoken a word to him since what happened at the hot spring. Kojiro didn’t blame him either. He also didn’t try and initiate a conversation since he hadn’t yet found the proof he’d claimed to have.

Ugh, this whole thing was such a mess and he didn’t even know if it was fixable at this point. His gaze fell to the picture of young them on the table. Kojiro’s brow knitted together. Fuck it. He’d spent long enough _not_ going after what he really wanted. Things couldn’t go on this way. Tonight he’d finally do the opposite. He grabbed both pictures he laid out then hurried to find his car keys. Things were going to change tonight, though whether that’d be for better or worse was anyone’s guess.

It was raining cats and dogs by the time Kojiro knocked on Kaoru’s front door. He didn’t care. He’d see this through even if it killed him. Kojiro waited a few seconds then knocked again. Thunder rumbled aggressively somewhere in the distance. He waited for it to stop then yelled, “I’m willing to stay out here all night if I have to! You can’t ignore me forever!”

The front door finally opened but Kaoru wasn’t there to greet him. Kojiro figured that he could open it remotely with that ridiculous A.I. of his. Whatever. At least he wasn’t standing out in the pouring rain anymore. He stood there awkwardly for a moment then finally kicked off his shoes. A shiver ran down his spine. Why was it cold in here? Sheesh. Kaoru really was an ice queen. Speak of the devil, Kaoru appeared in the foyer and offered him a towel.

“Thanks for letting me in,” Kojiro said as he took it and started to dry his hair.

“I wouldn’t have if not for the weather,” Kaoru assured him. He crossed his arms, frowned, then asked, “What are you even doing trying to catch your death outside of my home at this hour?”

Kojiro left the towel resting over his shoulder and started to pat himself down. He couldn’t remember where the heck he’d put the pictures. “It’s, uh… about the soulmarks. I– dammit, give me a second.”

Kaoru let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. “Not this again. Carla, activate sleep mode until ten minutes before the morning alarm.”

“Yes, master. Goodnight.” Carla replied from seemingly nowhere.

Kaoru’s expression was as flat as his tone when he asked, “Didn’t you get it out of your system already when you moved on to the next floozy?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kojiro asked right back.

“It’s been a few days,” Kaoru explained, “I figured you’d forgotten all about your little prank or what have you.” He waved a dismissive hand at the taller man. “You just needed to get laid, right? That gave you clarity and made it all go away?”

“Would you shut up already?” Kojiro snapped. “You act all high and mighty like you know everything about me when in reality you don’t know a goddamn thing!”

Kaoru snorted, rolled his eyes, and mumbled, “A feebleminded gorilla with a one-track mind is not that difficult to figure out.”

“You’re a real piece of work.” Kojiro finally managed to find the pictures. He shoved the one of the two of them as kids in Kaoru’s face and exclaimed, “And what’s this look about, huh! Did you used to have a crush on me when we were kids!”

Kaoru blinked a few times then snatched the picture from his hand so he could study it. An unreadable look spread across his face before he finally offered it back to Kojiro and replied, “Nice of you to finally notice a decade later.”

Kojiro found himself taken aback by the blunt response. He expected denial, an argument, not that. He frowned then asked, “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Kaoru shoved the picture at him then turned away and muttered, “Nothing would’ve changed if I did.”

“You’re wrong, idiot! That would’ve changed everything! I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to hide my soulmark if I thought there was even the _slightest_ chance that you might actually like me, are you nuts!” Kojiro barely finished shouting before he shoved the second picture in the pink-haired man’s face.

Kaoru took it and was silent for a long moment as he looked at the image. He ran his fingers over the flower in the picture slowly then mumbled, “The fact that you’d willingly deface something so lovely at all shows that we won’t ever see eye to eye.”

“So what! Do you know how boring a relationship would be if you always agreed with your partner on everything?” Kojiro immediately replied. “What draws me to you happens to be the fact that you’re everything I’m not. Your presence fills the empty gaps in my sense of self and when we’re together the world just starts to make sense. No one else has ever made me feel that way. I’ve liked you for a long time, Kaoru.”

Kaoru didn’t move a muscle. He didn’t dare breathe. It wasn’t until Kojiro sneezed that he finally snapped out of his momentary daze. He turned his head so that his hair hid his face and mumbled, “You should go take a shower before you really do catch a cold. I’ll grab you a change of clothes.”

“That’s it? Hey!” Kojiro ground his teeth as he was left standing there like an idiot. He grumbled incoherent nonsense as he stomped his way to the bathroom.

The warm water felt good after he finally peeled those cold, wet clothes off of himself. It did nothing to ease the sting in his chest, though. The nerve of that pink-haired jerk. Kojiro up and poured his heart out to him on a whim and got absolutely nothing in return. Maybe this whole thing was pointless after all. Kaoru might’ve felt something for him once upon a time, but apparently that dried up years ago. And yet Kojiro was here drowning in a resurgence of feelings he thought were put to rest. Frankly, this whole situation sucked. He should just cut his losses and go home already while he still had a shred of dignity left.

He turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower to find a towel and neatly folded clothes that hadn’t been there before. Kaoru sure could be sneaky when he wanted to. Kojiro dried off then picked up the robes and frowned. Kind of small, but what did he expect? Oh, well. He didn’t mind leaving them hanging open.

Kojiro meandered out of the bathroom and wandered through the apartment. Maybe he’d go raid the fridge for wine. Kaoru usually had good stuff on hand. When he got to the living room he paused and looked over at the couch. Kaoru was sitting there looking at the photo of young them. His glasses were on the nearby coffee table.

He didn’t look up from the picture as he said, “I remember when I finally worked up the courage to tell you about my soulmark. I was so nervous but also really excited because it was _you_ and for so long I’d…” Kaoru’s brow furrowed as he frowned. “But it so happened that the timing was utterly terrible. I can’t really describe the pain of finding the person one is about to confess to in the middle of making out with someone else, but if I had to choose a word I guess I’d go with ‘searing’. It’s absolutely the kind of pain that sticks with you long after the ordeal is over and done with.”

“And that’s why your attitude towards me changed so drastically all of a sudden…” Kojiro muttered to himself. His gut twisted into a horrible knot and he squeezed his hands into fists. It all made so much sense. Of course Kaoru wouldn’t want anything to do with him after something like that. Those feelings would easily turn into the spiteful way he treated him these days. Kojiro’s throat was dry as he mumbled, “Kaoru, I’m… I had no idea… I…”

Kaoru nodded and replied, “Indeed you didn’t. You moved onto the next without a care in the world and began your whole whore thing. Meanwhile, I was stuck drowning in a slew of emotions I could barely comprehend.”

“Ouch. But fair.”

Kaoru glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and asked, “Do you happen to remember that first girl’s name?”

Kojiro scrunched his face as he thought about it. That was so long ago. He’d been with countless others since then. That particular time wasn’t anything worth remembering. Try as he might, he just couldn’t recall. He finally shut his eyes and admitted, “No, I don’t.”

“It was Carla.”

Kojiro’s mouth fell open but no sound came out and he shut it again. Oh, god, that _was_ her name now that he thought about it. He’d never made the connection before. Maybe he really was the idiot Kaoru claimed him to be. To miss all these incredibly obvious things was astounding even to him.

“Granted, using that name was a petty reminder to loathe everything about you at first,” Kaoru explained, “but I grew to adore my Carla so now I only associate the name with her and the good feelings she provides.”

Kojiro’s gaze fell to the floor and he frowned. He looked back up again then asked, “Why are you telling me all this…?”

“I don’t really know, myself.” Kaoru huffed softly then set the picture onto the coffee table and bowed his head. His long hair fell around his face like a silky curtain.

Kojiro’s gaze fell to the way that Kaoru’s hands were trembling slightly in his lap. While this was a lot to take in, there was no time to overthink anything. He sat down next to Kaoru without a word and pulled him into a hug.

“I can’t stand you,” Kaoru muttered into his neck. He did nothing at all to return the embrace, but he also didn’t resist it.

“I know,” Kojiro sighed, rubbing his back slowly. “I understand why now and I get it.”

Kaoru’s voice was a shaky whisper as he whimpered, “This isn’t fair at all.”

Kojiro’s grip on him tightened. Now that he saw the situation for what it was there really was only one thing left to say. “I know it’s years too late and you probably don’t want to hear it, but I’m sorry for everything.”

Kaoru gripped at Kojiro’s robes so hard that his knuckles turned white. He didn’t say anything else and Kojiro followed suit. They stayed just like that for what felt like forever. Kojiro kind of wished it had been. This incredibly rare moment of the guy letting himself be totally vulnerable around him made his chest ache. He wanted to be the comfort Kaoru sought out when he was in need. But nothing lasted forever.

Kaoru finally sat up and wiped his cheeks. He cleared his throat then muttered, “That’s not how you’re supposed to wear those clothes, you know.”

“Well, if you gave me a set that were man-sized instead of this petite nonsense…” Kojiro mumbled.

“They’re regular size! You’re just a gigantic idiotic gorilla!” Kaoru yelled without missing a beat.

A smile spread across Kojiro’s face and he hummed, “There you are, Cherr.”

Kaoru frowned at him in response but didn’t say a word. His cheeks were a shade lighter than his hair and frankly the sight was way too appealing. Kojiro did his best not to stare and make matters worse somehow.

“So,” Kojiro sighed, breaking the silence between them, “what now?”

Kaoru cleared his throat then replied, “In light of the evidence you managed to present earlier–”

“Are we in court all of a sudden?” Kojiro groaned. No, he couldn’t stand things being awkward between them. That was worst case scenario in his book. They’d known one another most of their lives, it was just unnecessary. He couldn’t help but frown as he muttered, “Talk to me like a normal person.”

“You’re not a normal person,” Kaoru replied, “You’re my soulmate. As such, you should really consider trying to make yourself more presentable an–”

Kojiro meant to let him finish, truly he did. But something about hearing Kaoru call him soulmate made him lose all self-control. He instinctively surged forward and before it ever registered what was happening their lips were pressed together.

Kaoru let out a shaky sigh against his lips. His voice was a mere whisper as he said, “What was that for…”

“Say that again…” Kojiro whispered right back.

“No,” Kaoru replied, his defiant tone back as usual.

“Come onnn,” Kojiro whined softly.

Kaoru’s right hand slid to the back of his head. His fingers tangled in Kojiro’s green hair and he said, “You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met.”

“Right back at ya… soulmate.” The grip on his hair tightened so suddenly that it made Kojiro grunt in surprise. The next thing he knew, he was being kissed hard. He chuckled into it and wasted no time in kissing back. This didn’t feel real at all. Kojiro was sure he’d wake up at any moment just to find out that none of it happened. As if in direct response to the thought, there was a searing pain in his shoulder.

They broke the kiss and both hissed softly. Kaoru reached over his own shoulder and winced. Once the pain ceased, Kojiro looked over at his left shoulder to see the faint outline of his soulmark was now visible in his tattoo. One had to really look to see it but it was there. He couldn’t help but sound amused as he snorted, “Should’ve known it’d be as stubborn as you.”

His eyes widened when Kaoru traced the outline of the flower slowly with his finger. How such a simple action could feel like the epitome of intimacy, Kojiro had no idea, but he was struck with the urge to kiss the man again. He tugged at the collar of Kaoru’s outfit and asked, “What about you? Are you all right? Let me see.”

Kaoru slapped his hand away and shrieked, “Absolutely not! What do you think this is!”

“A request from your soulmate. Strip.” Kojiro teased.

“No.” Kaoru grumbled. His cheeks were tinted in the loveliest pink as he turned so his back was facing the other man. He pulled his long hair to the front and just barely let his robes fall downward. Enough to let the other man glimpse at the soulmark so he didn’t keep nagging about it.

Kojiro was relieved to see it was still there, unchanged. He admired the sight before himself for a moment. He hadn’t ever seen skin that begged to be kissed more than this. His fingers brushed against the soulmark gently then he gave in and pressed his lips against it.

“Hey, what do you think you’re– _oooh_ …” Kaoru’s attempt at a complaint ended up in naught but a content hum as Kojiro trailed sweet kisses to the base of his neck. There weren’t many things that could get his brain to shut off but attention to that sweet spot did it every time.

Kaoru craned his neck to the side just a bit then gasped when Kojiro bit down gently. Kaoru couldn’t do a thing about the soft groan that slipped past his lips. “Ko…Kojiro, I’m…”

Kojiro nuzzled the back of his shoulder then asked, “Have you never…?”

“Of course I have, what kind of ridiculous question was that!” Kaoru exclaimed. He elbowed Kojiro to get him to sit back a bit and added, “I was trying to say that I’m not going to let you ruin my couch.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Kojiro snickered. “I didn’t know how to begin dealing with _that_. Although, now that I think about it, I also find myself a bit pissed that I wasn’t the first one who got to properly touch you.” He leaned in close so that his lips brushed against Kaoru’s ear as he whispered, “The very first to see just what kinds of expressions you make when–”

“I get it!” Kaoru turned and slapped a hand over Kojiro’s mouth. He frowned to himself and muttered, “You’re not the first but if you play your cards right you could be the last.”

Kojiro’s eyes widened. He pulled the hand off of his face then kissed Kaoru’s knuckles. “That sounded vaguely threatening but was also oddly romantic at the same time.” He kept his gaze fixed on that blush he noticed darken the tips of Kaoru’s ears as he kissed his palm. “Kind of a turn on.”

“Everything’s a turn on for you,” Kaoru muttered.

“On the subject…” Kojiro kissed Kaoru’s wrist then stood and pulled him to his feet. He didn’t say a word as he lead Kaoru to the bedroom. Once there, Kojiro couldn’t help but laugh when Kaoru shoved him hard enough that he stumbled backwards and fell onto the bed. Kaoru wasted no time in hiking up his robes then climbing on top of him. A teasing smirk spread across Kojiro’s face and he rubbed Kaoru’s exposed thighs on either side of himself as he asked, “Remind me again, which of us is supposed to be turned on right now?”

“Shut up.” Kaoru didn’t give him a chance to respond. He bent down and claimed his lips in a passionate kiss. He gasped in surprise when Kojiro grabbed him and flipped their positions without warning then bent down and kissed him just as enthusiastically.

They continued to flip positions while they made out in a playful battle for dominance. That stopped when Kaoru pushed off of Kojiro’s chest so that he was sitting upright and started to untie his belt. He maintained eye contact with the green-haired man as he said, “If you tell anyone about us, I’ll deny it.”

Kojiro reached up to help slide the fabric off of his shoulders, enjoying the feeling of the smooth skin beneath his palms, and hummed, “Sure you will.”

“I mean it.”

“Uh huh.” Kojiro sat up, shrugged out of his own robes, then pulled Kaoru into a kiss. The feeling of their bare torsos pressed together was just short of maddening. He wanted more. No, he _needed_ it. The fact that Kaoru met him kiss for desperate kiss with the utmost enthusiasm was proof enough that the feeling was mutual.

Kojiro knew there was no better feeling in the world than the one that washed over him with that confirmation. He wrapped his arms around Kaoru and kept him pressed against his chest as he laid back down. They broke the kiss and stared into one another’s eyes for a moment. If either of them had something to say they kept it to themselves.

Kojiro took the chance to tuck Kaoru’s hair behind his ear then rest his hand upon his neck. The silky strands only sort of cooperated, some of them falling right back down again. There was a softness in Kaoru’s usually hard eyes that was incredibly telling, as was the fact that Kojiro could feel just how quickly his pulse was racing beneath his palm. Whatever moment they were in the midst of passed and they resumed kissing one another like their lives depended on it. This was going to be a night neither of them would soon forget, he just knew it.

**Author's Note:**

> Recycled an older soulmate concept I had because I think it suited the pair quite well -nods-
> 
> I looove the fact that Joe has the kanji for tiger in his name so muchhhh ugh. I think about it a lot. Makes their soulmarks work soo well!!! Need to see Cherry in a stripey kimono/yukata now o///o
> 
> These two would already be married if theyd only communicate smh...
> 
> Every week I’m floored by the canon content we are fed for this pairing its absolutely nutsss. Loving this ride


End file.
